Alternate Prologue: Into the Wild
by magewhisper705
Summary: My friend wrote another prologue for Into the Wild some time ago, but she's deathly afraid of posting her work online, so I did it for her. Please review so I can cure her fear of posting.


Alternate Prologue

Alternate Prologue

Claws flashed in the bright sunlight as the cats fought furiously. Redtail dodged the gnashing teeth, occasionally catching glimpses of Tigerclaw's dark tabby pelt, or the dark fur of Tigerclaw's apprentice, Ravenpaw. A Riverclan she-cat went shrieking back into the river, blood dripping from a scratch across her nose. Suddenly Redtail found himself face-to-face with the RiverClan deputy, Oakheart. The two deputies circled, wary. Then Oakheart suddenly lunged. Redtail rolled to the side and then jumped onto Oakheart's back, digging his claw's into the larger cat's shoulders. Oakheart screeched and fell backwards, pounding the ginger cat mercilessly into the ground. Winded, Redtail didn't have time to react before Oakheart had him pinned, teeth bared and claws outstretched. The two cats saw a black streak dash into the bushes. Oakheart's head turned, and Redtail seized his opportunity, flinging the cat off of him. Their battle resumed, they lunged and dodged, rolling under a rocky outcropping. One of Oakheart's paws connected with Redtail's shoulder, leaving a large gash. Redtail was tiring, and he knew it.

The rocks above them rumbled, and the ThunderClan deputy shot out onto the Sunningrocks where Tigerclaw was dispatching the last of the RiverClan warriors. Oakheart wasn't so lucky, the outcropping collapsed, crushing the brave deputy. Redtail stared sadly at the pile. Oakheart had been his enemy, but he had been brave and loyal to his clan. StarClan would be receiving a great warrior tonight. Redtail bowed his head, and turned to watch the last of the fleeing RiverClan cats, the adrenaline of battle slowly draining from him. His comrades had fought well also. Tigerclaw was a great warrior.

Suddenly, Redtail felt a searing pain on his back, and then… everything went black. The sky was coming closer; he was looking at himself from above. Sleek silver bodies were twining around him forming a great circle. He looked down at his own paws. They shimmered as if infused with moonlight. The cats around him stared, wisdom spilling out of their starlit eyes. Out of the great mass of silver cats stepped Redtail's old mentor, Snowpelt. Snowpelt padded forward.

"Redtail," she called, "In your life you served your clan with great strength and loyalty. We now relieve you of this burden and invite you to join with your warrior ancestors in the ranks of Starclan. Will you watch over and protect your descendants in future generations?" Redtail now understood what had happened. He had died. But he could still serve his clan.

"I will." He replied calmly.

"Then I invest in you all of the wisdom of StarClan." She reached out and touched noses with her old apprentice. With the touch Redtail felt a flow of knowledge enter his brain, more than he could have held in life. He now understood the forest and its inhabitants in a way that only a cat of StarClan could. He also knew who had caused his death. He saw the scene in his mind's eye, a dark tabby pelt leaping from the shadows and lading on his own ginger back. He witnessed his own murder.

"Tigerclaw!" he gasped. "But why…?" The answer came to him before the question was finished. He remembered the cat's great ambition, his lust for power as an apprentice. He witnessed scenes he had never seen in life, Tigerclaw plotting to kill him, and to kill his clan leader, Bluestar. He saw what would happen if Tigerclaw succeeded.

Oakheart spoke, "The days ahead will be dark ones for your clan, with the shadow of Tigerclaw hanging over the forest. There is a cat who star clan has selected with the qualities to save ThunderClan. Will you guide this cat in the clan ways and help him to triumph over Tigerclaw, who has abandoned us?"

"I will." repeated Redtail. "May I see this cat?" A vision appeared before him. It showed a young cat, still a kit, really, six or seven moons old and small for his age. A beam of sunlight turned his pelt into a rippling flame. In his eyes Redtail saw the determined glint of a warrior and in his heart was loyalty and compassion. Behind him, a kittypet collar sat half-buried in the dirt, and ahead of him lay the future of ThunderClan.


End file.
